Ontario Zoo Review Series - #1 Greenview Aviaries, Park & Zoo July 2008 Zoocheck Canada Inc. 788 ½ O’Connor Drive Toronto, Ontario, M4B 2S6 www.zoocheck.com 1 ZOOCHECK CANADA INC. Zoocheck Canada is a national animal protection charity (#13150 2072 RR 0001) established in 1984 to promote and protect the interests and wellbeing of wild animals. Policy Zoocheck objects in principle to the keeping, confinement, use, exhibition and performance of wild animals in captivity as captivity is not in the best interests of those animals1. Nor does the exhibition of live wildlife provide a positive educational experience for the general public. Wild animals removed from their natural environment and ecological context bear little or no meaningful resemblance to their counterparts in the wild. Nonetheless, animals are kept in zoos and similar captive situations at present and for these animals, improvements in the conditions to which they are subjected are urgently needed. Zoocheck believes the onus must be on the owners/operators of facilities who choose to keep these animals captive, to provide for them the best possible care in the circumstances. The Investigation This report provides an overview of the Greenview Aviaries Park and Zoo in Morpeth , Ontario on July 16, 2008. It is the first in a series of investigative reports aimed at providing a snapsnot image of the current status of captive wild animals in Ontario. Investigator Profile In 1978 Else Poulsen received her BSc. in Biology from Brock University and in 1995 her 4 year Diploma in Zookeeping from the City of Calgary Apprenticeship Programs. She has dealt with variety of animal species, in her work as a field biologist in Alberta’s energy industry, as a zookeeper at the Calgary Zoo, and as a bear specialist in several other facilities. She has provided expert assistance and advice about modernizing bear husbandry methods, environmental enrichment programming and enclosure design issues to zoos, sanctuaries and animal welfare groups around the world. Poulsen has more than 40 papers and articles to her name in scientific research and technical journals, textbooks and other publications. She consults as an animal behavior and captive environment trouble-shooter. She has also lectured on modern bear care and animal welfare issues to audiences as diverse as university students studying population genetics to First Nations Band Council members in northern Canada. 1 In limited circumstances, exclusively for the purpose of benefiting the individual animal or species, Zoocheck Canada supports the keeping of wild animals in captivity as part of a legitimate rehabilitation and release program, or for non- releasable animals that have been retired or rescued, or that are part of a legitimate captive propagation initiative, provided the animal's physical, psychological and social needs are addressed as the primary concern. 2 THE SITUATION IN ONTARIO There are currently few rules governing the operation of zoos and other kinds of captive wildlife displays in Ontario. This lack of regulation has resulted in a proliferation of zoos and zoo-type exhibits in the province. Ontario has more of these facilities than any other province, including many of the worst in Canada Unlike many other jurisdictions, in Ontario, non-indigenous exotic wildlife species are not regulated. Virtually anyone can acquire exotic wild animals, house them in conditions of their choosing and then open up for public viewing. There are no laws or regulations requiring the owners or operators of zoos to have expertise or experience in wild animal care, the financial resources to properly operate their facility or an ability to conduct their business in a humane and safe manner. "Specially protected and game wildlife," defined as native wildlife listed in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, can only be kept and displayed if a license to do so has been obtained from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Three general animal welfare conditions are attached to all licenses, but they are not specific and are open to interpretation, so enforcement is problematic. Ontario’s lack of zoo licensing and comprehensive wildlife in captivity standards has resulted in a large number of zoos and wildlife menageries operating at a standard of their own choosing. There is nothing in place that specifically addresses the many issues associated with the capture, breeding, keeping and display of wild animals in zoos and zoo-type exhibits. The unfettered proliferation of wild animal displays in Ontario has been recognized as a problem for approximately 30 years. Numerous measures to deal with this issue have been initiated, but none have been fully supported by government, so the captive wildlife industry remains essentially unmonitored and uncontrolled to this day. The Government of Ontario has the ability to create a regulatory regime for all wildlife in captivity that is consistent with other jurisdictions, comprehensive, fair to license holders and respectful of the many individual animals whose lives are directly affected by it. In addition to numerous workable and adaptable models being available in other jurisdictions, in 2001, the MNR published its own set of standards for zoos. Comprehensive Licensing and Regulation is Required The Ontario government should implement and administer a comprehensive zoo and wildlife in captivity regulatory program that requires anyone holding native and/or exotic wild animals in captivity to obtain a license and to satisfy a series of conditions as to their knowledge, experience, financial abilities, wild animal housing and management practices, safety procedures and other relevant issues. Licenses should be issued annually and only after an inspection of the premises to be licensed is conducted. The regulatory program should include the ability to conduct special inspections, penalties for non-compliance and provisions for license revocation. Bill 50, An Act to amend the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act In 2008, the Ontario government introduced Bill 50, An Act to amend the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. During the buildup to the introduction of the Act, government officials and elected representatives said the Act would deal with a variety of animal welfare issues, including roadside zoos. Bill 50 would: • Make it a provincial offence to abuse any animal. Ontario is the only province where it is not an offence to abuse most animals. It is only an offence to abuse cats and dogs in commercial breeding operations. • Establish penalties including a lifetime ban on owning animals. 3 • Allow the Ontario SPCA to inspect roadside zoos and other facilities that keep animals. Currently, anyone can refuse to show the Ontario SPCA their animals. • Establish animal care standards and make failing to comply with these an offence. While Bill 50 contains a number of very positive features and will significantly improve the existing Ontario SPCA Act, it will not address most of the problems that have been identified in zoos and zoo-type exhibits across the province. Even though the Ontario government has repeatedly indicated its intent to deal with wildlife in captivity issues through Bill 50, there are currently no specific wildlife in captivity standards or regulations being proposed at this time . If standards of some kind are developed in future, they will not contain up front licensing of zoos and zoo-type exhibits that screen persons wanting to own wild animals or open public displays. Standards promulgated under Bill 50 will be enforced retroactively after animals have been acquired or a zoo or wildlife display opened. If, as the Government of Ontario has stated, Ontario is to move from "worst to first" in animal protection, then Bill 50 must include comprehensive regulations for zoos. With the weakest zoo regulations in the country, Ontario is the only province that does not require zoos and zoo-type facilities to meet specific public safety requirements and does not require residents to obtain a license to keep exotic wild animals. The lack of appropriate laws and regulations, and the difficulties inherent in enforcing the existing relatively minor welfare provisions attached to licenses issued under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, mean that Ontario’s zoos and wildlife exhibits go more or less unchecked. This has left a need for independent animal welfare agencies, such as Zoocheck Canada and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), to proactively and comprehensively monitor and evaluate these facilities for concerns of human health and safety and animal welfare. 4 COMMENTARY GREENVIEW AVIARIES, PARK AND ZOO Husbandry and Animal Welfare The purpose of the animals in this collection seems to be to entertain zoo visitors. Judging by the behavior of the animals I observed, I surmise that most of them are fed once a day, either after the zoo is closed to visitors, or, possibly, in the early morning. Since I observed very little food in any of the enclosures, it is likely that feeding occurs after hours. Hoofstock, small mammals, primates and birds regularly approached the fence line of their enclosures to beg for food from visitors. Small bags and plastic pails containing pellets (type unknown) and crushed corn were available for visitors to purchase and feed to the animals. Some enclosures were equipped with “gum” dispenser machines containing Cheerios and Fruit Loops-type cereals that visitors could purchase for 25 cents per handful. A number of enclosures had small feeders built into their fencing where visitors could place purchased food items. As the animals come to feed, they can then be petted. This kind of feeding method is uncontrolled – meaning it is difficult, if not impossible, for the animal caretakers to know exactly how much food each individual animal is receiving. Dominant animals may be getting the bulk of the food, while less dominant animals may be getting little or none.